A majority of Americans would support legislation that would prohibit weight discrimination in the U.S., according to a recent study. Researchers at Yale University conducted the national survey, and found that most respondents were opposed to discrimination practices such as refusing to hire, withholding promotions, paying lower wages, or unjustly terminating obese employees.For a Limited Time receive a
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Download NowThe researchers found that 65% of men and 81% of women would support legislation that would protect obese employees in the workplace. Furthermore, 47% of men and 61% of women would support adding body weight as a protected category in existing Civil Rights laws.
There are no federal laws specifically aimed at weight discrimination, however there have been efforts at the state level to protect overweight and obese workers. Michigan’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits employment practices that discriminate on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), disability, genetic information, marital status, and also height or weight.
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Study: Public Opinion About Laws to Prohibit Weight Discrimination in the United States